Denver Broncos Training Camp Notebook: Day 3

Chad Jensen

08/02/2015

Day three of training camp saw the Broncos don pads (shells) for the first time. Head coach Gary Kubiak still isn't happy with how his team is finishing practice.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak would like to see his football team finish better toward the end of training camp practices. Following day three at UCHealth Training Center, Kubiak was candid with many of his musings, including admitting that he didn’t get a chance to greet Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, who was in attendance.

“We put the tops [shells] on today and didn't have our bottoms [pads] on,” Kubiak said. “We're trying to get an idea of working with our pads and still staying off the ground. I thought it was good. I want to see us finish practice a little better than we've been finishing when we get a little deeper into practice.”

Kubiak felt good about his team’s start today, but he wants to see them finish strong. Kubiak’s affable, open demeanor is a refreshing change up from John Fox’s cliché-riddled platitudes. Kubiak went on to talk about why finishing strong at practice is so important.

“I feel like the majority of our mistakes within a given day are common at the end of practice,” he said. “That's when you're worn out. If you don't make those plays in a game when you're worn out in the fourth quarter, in this league, it's going to be tough on you.”

The Broncos are making a point of getting Brock Osweiler more reps with the first-team. Tomorrow, when the Broncos don full pads for full contact, Osweiler will take the reins with the first-team, while the 39-year-old Peyton Manning rests up.

“It comes up tomorrow,” Kubiak said. “I think it's important that he walks out of that locker room and it's his team for the day. [QB] Peyton [Manning] needs his break. I think those will be big days for him. He's improving. I want his feet to continue to improve. I think if his feet improve, he'll be a better player, and it's something I'm staying on him about. Yes, those leadership days are coming.”

Osweiler struggled at times today. Two of his passes were intercepted by Lamin Barrow and Curtis Marsh. It’s important to keep in mind that the fourth-year gunslinger is still learning the new system. Kubiak talked about how he views the progress of the quarterback group thus far and how they’re handling the changes to their dropback mechanics playing under center.

“Obviously, there is new stuff going on,” he said. “There's a lot of new footwork going on for them. They've been almost exclusively shotgun for the few years those young kids have been here. That's a little bit different, but they can all move around.”

Offensive tackle Ryan Harris again saw reps with the first-team today, as the coaching staff tries to determine which combination of guys gives the Broncos the best chance to succeed. With so many new faces in the trenches, and learning a new system, it’ll likely take time to ascertain.

Ty Sambrailo and Michael Schofield had a strong day. Sambrailo is being asked to replace a Pro Bowler at left tackle and Schofield is being given the opportunity to win more snaps. It’s still early, but these two bookend tackles represent the Broncos future on the O-line and how they perform in camp could tell us what’s in store in the years ahead.

Kicker Brandon McManus got a lot of work today. However, being consistent in game-like situations is still eluding the young kicker. He has a big leg, but he has to work on his accuracy and how he handles the pressure cooker of game situations.

“We're just working through some situations,” Kubiak said. “What was he? [McManus] Two-out-of-four? I thought the first one was good.”

Solomon Patton was signed by the team this offseason to compete at receiver but primarily to see if he could provide a spark in the special teams return game. He’s looked good thus far, even earning compliments from the coaching staff, but Kubiak wants to see more out of him.

“He's a good returner,” Kubiak said. “The question is going to be can he run in enough spots at wide receiver to play? It's really hard to exclusively keep returners. You want guys to do more. If they're the best in the league, you'd probably find a way to do it. Other than that, they have to be able to do other things.”

Former first round pick Sylvester Williams has been consistently making plays in camp thus far. In his first two years with the Broncos, there were concerns about his motor and desire to play. However, the early returns show that Sly has really taken to defensive line coach Bill Kollar’s approach to coaching.

“I think that he [Williams] has responded to [Defensive Line Coach] Bill [Kollar]'s way of coaching and what Bill is trying to get him to do, and I think that he has really been an impressive player,” Kubiak said. “Not only through what little bit that we've been in camp, but he did it throughout the offseason too.”

Williams concurred, saying, “I think my game has definitely changed a lot, and it’s [Kollar’s coaching] definitely brought the best out of me so far.”

Malik Jackson was again limited in his participation today, as he bounces back from a calf strain suffered on Friday. He and Antonio Smith spent a lot of time on the sidelines with trainers today. Tight end Marcel Jensen was “stepped on” yesterday, and was held out of practice today. He should be good to go tomorrow.

Rookie outside linebacker Shane Ray is still getting his pro feet under him. Coming off of a foot injury that took months to heal, he’s trying to get back into the groove. So far, he’s struggled to get off blocks in 11-on-11 and one-on-one drills.

Ray is continuing to get additional coaching from DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller. It’s probably only a short matter of time before we start seeing the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year make a bigger impact at training camp.

Additional Notes

•The play-action game looked deadly today. With the plan being to wear down defenses with the running game and then gouge them with the play-action, it's good to see that facet of the offense clicking.

•Undrafted rookie free agent tackle Connor Rains has been waived/injured and to replace him, the Broncos signed Charles Sweeton.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak would like to see his football team finish better toward the end of training camp practices. Following day three at UCHealth Training Center, Kubiak was candid with many of his musings, including admitting that he didn’t get a chance to greet Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, who was in attendance. \r\n

“We put the tops [shells] on today and didn't have our bottoms [pads] on,” Kubiak said. “We're trying to get an idea of working with our pads and still staying off the ground. I thought it was good. I want to see us finish practice a little better than we've been finishing when we get a little deeper into practice.”\r\n

Kubiak felt good about his team’s start today, but he wants to see them finish strong. Kubiak’s affable, open demeanor is a refreshing change up from John Fox’s cliché-riddled platitudes. Kubiak went on to talk about why finishing strong at practice is so important. \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

“I feel like the majority of our mistakes within a given day are common at the end of practice,” he said. “That's when you're worn out. If you don't make those plays in a game when you're worn out in the fourth quarter, in this league, it's going to be tough on you.”\r\n

The Broncos are making a point of getting Brock Osweiler more reps with the first-team. Tomorrow, when the Broncos don full pads for full contact, Osweiler will take the reins with the first-team, while the 39-year-old Peyton Manning rests up. \r\n

“It comes up tomorrow,” Kubiak said. “I think it's important that he walks out of that locker room and it's his team for the day. [QB] Peyton [Manning] needs his break. I think those will be big days for him. He's improving. I want his feet to continue to improve. I think if his feet improve, he'll be a better player, and it's something I'm staying on him about. Yes, those leadership days are coming.”\r\n

Osweiler struggled at times today. Two of his passes were intercepted by Lamin Barrow and Curtis Marsh. It’s important to keep in mind that the fourth-year gunslinger is still learning the new system. Kubiak talked about how he views the progress of the quarterback group thus far and how they’re handling the changes to their dropback mechanics playing under center. \r\n

“Obviously, there is new stuff going on,” he said. “There's a lot of new footwork going on for them. They've been almost exclusively shotgun for the few years those young kids have been here. That's a little bit different, but they can all move around.”\r\n

Offensive tackle Ryan Harris again saw reps with the first-team today, as the coaching staff tries to determine which combination of guys gives the Broncos the best chance to succeed. With so many new faces in the trenches, and learning a new system, it’ll likely take time to ascertain. \r\n

Ty Sambrailo and Michael Schofield had a strong day. Sambrailo is being asked to replace a Pro Bowler at left tackle and Schofield is being given the opportunity to win more snaps. It’s still early, but these two bookend tackles represent the Broncos future on the O-line and how they perform in camp could tell us what’s in store in the years ahead. \r\n

Kicker Brandon McManus got a lot of work today. However, being consistent in game-like situations is still eluding the young kicker. He has a big leg, but he has to work on his accuracy and how he handles the pressure cooker of game situations. \r\n

“We're just working through some situations,” Kubiak said. “What was he? [McManus] Two-out-of-four? I thought the first one was good.”\r\n

Solomon Patton was signed by the team this offseason to compete at receiver but primarily to see if he could provide a spark in the special teams return game. He’s looked good thus far, even earning compliments from the coaching staff, but Kubiak wants to see more out of him. \r\n

“He's a good returner,” Kubiak said. “The question is going to be can he run in enough spots at wide receiver to play? It's really hard to exclusively keep returners. You want guys to do more. If they're the best in the league, you'd probably find a way to do it. Other than that, they have to be able to do other things.”\r\n

Former first round pick Sylvester Williams has been consistently making plays in camp thus far. In his first two years with the Broncos, there were concerns about his motor and desire to play. However, the early returns show that Sly has really taken to defensive line coach Bill Kollar’s approach to coaching. \r\n

“I think that he [Williams] has responded to [Defensive Line Coach] Bill [Kollar]'s way of coaching and what Bill is trying to get him to do, and I think that he has really been an impressive player,” Kubiak said. “Not only through what little bit that we've been in camp, but he did it throughout the offseason too.”\r\n

Williams concurred, saying, “I think my game has definitely changed a lot, and it’s [Kollar’s coaching] definitely brought the best out of me so far.”\r\n

Malik Jackson was again limited in his participation today, as he bounces back from a calf strain suffered on Friday. He and Antonio Smith spent a lot of time on the sidelines with trainers today. Tight end Marcel Jensen was “stepped on” yesterday, and was held out of practice today. He should be good to go tomorrow. \r\n

Rookie outside linebacker Shane Ray is still getting his pro feet under him. Coming off of a foot injury that took months to heal, he’s trying to get back into the groove. So far, he’s struggled to get off blocks in 11-on-11 and one-on-one drills. \r\n

Ray is continuing to get additional coaching from DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller. It’s probably only a short matter of time before we start seeing the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year make a bigger impact at training camp. \r\n

Additional Notes

\r\n

\r\n

•The play-action game looked deadly today. With the plan being to wear down defenses with the running game and then gouge them with the play-action, it's good to see that facet of the offense clicking. \r\n

•Undrafted rookie free agent tackle Connor Rains has been waived/injured and to replace him, the Broncos signed Charles Sweeton. \r\n

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak would like to see his football team finish better toward the end of training camp practices. Following day three at UCHealth Training Center, Kubiak was candid with many of his musings, including admitting that he didn’t get a chance to greet Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, who was in attendance.

“We put the tops [shells] on today and didn't have our bottoms [pads] on,” Kubiak said. “We're trying to get an idea of working with our pads and still staying off the ground. I thought it was good. I want to see us finish practice a little better than we've been finishing when we get a little deeper into practice.”

Kubiak felt good about his team’s start today, but he wants to see them finish strong. Kubiak’s affable, open demeanor is a refreshing change up from John Fox’s cliché-riddled platitudes. Kubiak went on to talk about why finishing strong at practice is so important.

“I feel like the majority of our mistakes within a given day are common at the end of practice,” he said. “That's when you're worn out. If you don't make those plays in a game when you're worn out in the fourth quarter, in this league, it's going to be tough on you.”

The Broncos are making a point of getting Brock Osweiler more reps with the first-team. Tomorrow, when the Broncos don full pads for full contact, Osweiler will take the reins with the first-team, while the 39-year-old Peyton Manning rests up.

“It comes up tomorrow,” Kubiak said. “I think it's important that he walks out of that locker room and it's his team for the day. [QB] Peyton [Manning] needs his break. I think those will be big days for him. He's improving. I want his feet to continue to improve. I think if his feet improve, he'll be a better player, and it's something I'm staying on him about. Yes, those leadership days are coming.”

Osweiler struggled at times today. Two of his passes were intercepted by Lamin Barrow and Curtis Marsh. It’s important to keep in mind that the fourth-year gunslinger is still learning the new system. Kubiak talked about how he views the progress of the quarterback group thus far and how they’re handling the changes to their dropback mechanics playing under center.

“Obviously, there is new stuff going on,” he said. “There's a lot of new footwork going on for them. They've been almost exclusively shotgun for the few years those young kids have been here. That's a little bit different, but they can all move around.”

Offensive tackle Ryan Harris again saw reps with the first-team today, as the coaching staff tries to determine which combination of guys gives the Broncos the best chance to succeed. With so many new faces in the trenches, and learning a new system, it’ll likely take time to ascertain.

Ty Sambrailo and Michael Schofield had a strong day. Sambrailo is being asked to replace a Pro Bowler at left tackle and Schofield is being given the opportunity to win more snaps. It’s still early, but these two bookend tackles represent the Broncos future on the O-line and how they perform in camp could tell us what’s in store in the years ahead.

Kicker Brandon McManus got a lot of work today. However, being consistent in game-like situations is still eluding the young kicker. He has a big leg, but he has to work on his accuracy and how he handles the pressure cooker of game situations.

“We're just working through some situations,” Kubiak said. “What was he? [McManus] Two-out-of-four? I thought the first one was good.”

Solomon Patton was signed by the team this offseason to compete at receiver but primarily to see if he could provide a spark in the special teams return game. He’s looked good thus far, even earning compliments from the coaching staff, but Kubiak wants to see more out of him.

“He's a good returner,” Kubiak said. “The question is going to be can he run in enough spots at wide receiver to play? It's really hard to exclusively keep returners. You want guys to do more. If they're the best in the league, you'd probably find a way to do it. Other than that, they have to be able to do other things.”

Former first round pick Sylvester Williams has been consistently making plays in camp thus far. In his first two years with the Broncos, there were concerns about his motor and desire to play. However, the early returns show that Sly has really taken to defensive line coach Bill Kollar’s approach to coaching.

“I think that he [Williams] has responded to [Defensive Line Coach] Bill [Kollar]'s way of coaching and what Bill is trying to get him to do, and I think that he has really been an impressive player,” Kubiak said. “Not only through what little bit that we've been in camp, but he did it throughout the offseason too.”

Williams concurred, saying, “I think my game has definitely changed a lot, and it’s [Kollar’s coaching] definitely brought the best out of me so far.”

Malik Jackson was again limited in his participation today, as he bounces back from a calf strain suffered on Friday. He and Antonio Smith spent a lot of time on the sidelines with trainers today. Tight end Marcel Jensen was “stepped on” yesterday, and was held out of practice today. He should be good to go tomorrow.

Rookie outside linebacker Shane Ray is still getting his pro feet under him. Coming off of a foot injury that took months to heal, he’s trying to get back into the groove. So far, he’s struggled to get off blocks in 11-on-11 and one-on-one drills.

Ray is continuing to get additional coaching from DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller. It’s probably only a short matter of time before we start seeing the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year make a bigger impact at training camp.

Additional Notes

•The play-action game looked deadly today. With the plan being to wear down defenses with the running game and then gouge them with the play-action, it's good to see that facet of the offense clicking.

•Undrafted rookie free agent tackle Connor Rains has been waived/injured and to replace him, the Broncos signed Charles Sweeton.